Automatic steam-stop valve



w.- B. s'roRK AUTOMATIC STEAM STOP VALVE` Fned'Jan. 2e 192;

May 29, 1923.

Patented May`29, 1923. .p

UNifr-El sr4 AUTOMATIC STEAM-STOP .vnr-.vnf

Application sied January es, i921. serial No 44o,o9sf.j ,y L ,n gA

T o all whom it may concer/n:

"Be it known vthat I, 1WILLIAM B. SfroRK, a citizen of the United States, residing lat Andover, Essex County, vState of Massachu setts, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Automatic` Steam-Stop Valves, of which the followingis ka specification. y y This invention vrelatesy to automatic valves l0 intended` primarily for use in the connectiongf;

between a boiler'and a'steam`main which is supplied .from a number ofboiler's and is ofthe same general type as that covered by my pending application, Serial' Number 331,- 432', filed October 17,1919.k It is designed to automatically open or close as the relative pressures in the boiler and in thesteam main vary, land also to automatically close incase .the pressurev in the main suddenly falls very materially below normahas would be caused by a break` inthel main. It normally vcloses when the pressure in the boiler is less than that in the main, and thus if,v the boiler bursts it will close, thuspievent- 251mg lossv of steani from the main. The ob-` ject 'of the presentl invention is'to simplify andimprove the structureset forth in my prior application mentioned above. The novel features will be clearpfrom the 'fol-A lowing description andv claims taken with the'drawings.v n 1 a f f 'In'the drawings: p 'Y Figure 1 is a vertical section" through the valve with the' parts yin open position, :and

Figure 2 is a similar viewy with the'jparts-l in lclosed position'. v y

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings there is a valve casing or body 10 formed in the usual wayof metal, having therein a chamber V1l providedwith an inlet opening 12 for steam from a` boiler, an outletopening 13l leadingvto the steam main, an open end cylindrical portion 14 in line with the inlet 12, and a passageway l5` inthe wall of the cylindrical portion vforming a'branch steam connection between said chamber and the outer end of'said cylinder.` The inlet opening isprovided at its margin with an inwardly .facing valve seat 16 and the tubular portion 17 below it has' transversely of it a fixed guide member 18 'prof vided with a central cylindrical guide opening to receive and s'lidably engage an inte gral -downwardlyextendin'g projecting guide member 19011 the bottom of the valve 20.- A

laterally extending .aange i21H5.animatigafk the lower endofthe valve 'casirigl'Ok around f l the inlet opening,y and provided with fb'oltf holes 22forv-faste`ningit totheboiler orak 4 eny y' connection lea-ding to the boiler.In the #frasaait i formshownyja cylindrical j bushi'ngfQiyis4 portion. The' upper en'djofthis bushingis portion 14and`its peripheral-,flange 25.

to'be forced in with `white lead to make a steainy tghtjoint'. `T heubushing also bastan opening orpassageway '28 through itsup-pzf. 75 l'ys'othat steam fromthe'main may enter f per portion registering with'cthe':j passageway it,` `andthe bushing near' its centralI portion Lplaced inthe lcylindrical oortionll;l through Y i the'- open'top and"v closelylfitsrlit and at its-j lower edge rests'o'n the small interiorledge"l n i 241 left inthe casing infboring out thefupper'o' i yifiushwah ,the upper @mi of the yan-anger; f

is provided onf its outer Iside with, 'a *periph` regular intervals connectiiigit tothe interior` .v eral groove 29 having?radialfopenings 30211;r ze',

so A

of thebfushing- The cylindrical portionl 141,5 ofthe casing lOlis provided '.withfanfinlet l opening l31 registeringrwith and ,dischargl ingy into the-'groove29 and having'pipe conjss vsure separate `andjdistinct'ffl'omj` the main but substantially 'equal to the nornaal'pres`` c' sure in the steammain' and chamber 11,L`and 'i 'i nection 82 to a sourcefof Huid undervaipresfor thisl purpose the `fpipe 32de [preferably A connected toone of `the other' ofthe battery.

cover'plate 27fhas a centering rib-33 fitting within the upper end ofbushing23 andv also has" a. central j cylindrical guide openingviv, extending theretlarough.` @Ony the outer or .90.3. of boilers supplying the steam main. "TheflV f i 'I y upper 'side of said'platefQ'Z theres-is a boss 35 the central. opening 'being counterbored l to receive Y packing v36l yand" the adjustable packing gland 37. The .packing glandhasj a central guide opening of thesame sizelas'flooi opening 34 and hasta marginalange 38V proc, f KLjecting outvover the:endofthecylindrical",.

projection" 35,* and ,is Aadjustably .v secured thereto by screw threaded studs andlnuts` 39.' y y the flange 27' of the cover platezand oniits central upper cross portion is providedwith v '1 Ayoke or frame 40 at its lowerend rests on a screw threadedfopening lllt, will. beiV v understood that the yoke llogcovel'; plateQZ",` 11o and the 'upper' endlof vthe Acyliiidrical portion 14 are securely fastened and clamped together by well known means to make a steam tight joint.

The operative parts of the valve mechanism include a rod or stem 42 having atV its lower end a head43making connection with a grooved socket 44 on the upperI face of valve and causing said valve and stem to move together longitudinally but providing sufiicient looseness to permit the steam to reach and its pressure to act on all parts. The stein or rod .'42 extends centrally through and beyond a piston 45 fitting within the lower portion of the cylindrica inner surface of bushing 23 and is reduced in diameter at and beyond said piston, the

shoulder 46 'formed by the reduction serving as' a support for the piston. Clamp nuts 47 on vthe rod on the upper side of the piston serve to completethe. rigid connection between them. A second or upper piston 48 fits; within the cylinder formed by bushing 23 and when the valve is operating to admit steam to the main occupies a position above vthe side openings 30 as shown in Figure l. ,i A cylindrical rod or shaft 49 of varying diameter passes j centrally up through piston 48 having an-cnlarged lower end or head V50 fitting against shoulder 50 at the lower end of the piston and with clamp nuts 5l above the piston to hold it ink place, thereon. Above these clamp nuts the diameter of the rod 49 is reduced and it passes out through the opening 34, packing `3,6 and packing gland 37, and further up is l reduced again, forming a shoulder .52 below the cross part Vof the yoke 40. The outer reduced end slidably passes through-the central tubular opening in the screw threaded sleeve 53 which fits and isy adjustable in the A screwthreaded yoke opening 4l in the yoke.

An operating handle or wheel 54 is secured to the upper end of rod or shaft 49 and a similar butlarger operating wheel 55 is secured to the upper end of sleeve 53.' The rod 49 has/in its lower end a cylindrical central upwardly extending socket or opening to slidably receive the upper reduced end of the rod or stem 42 secured to the lower piston 45 as illustrated in dotted lines. The telescoping portionof rod 42A has a longitudinal slot, 57 of limited extent or length ant-lapin 58 extending through the tubular part of rod 49 enters that slot and limits the relative longitudinal movement of said rods.

Itwill be noted from what has been said above that when the parts are as shown in Figure l the valve with its stem 42 and the attached piston'45 are freely movable down to. closed. position without movement of the upper piston 48 or its rod 49, the pin and slotjconnection 57, 58 permitting that much free movement. This ,figure shows the deviceN in normal operative adjustment and the Y valve 20 will automatically move up or down to open or close the inlet as the relative pressure in the chamber l1v and in the boiler compared with the pressure in the main and rising when the pressure in the boiler so far exceeds that in chamber 1l and the main as y to lift the valve and its parts from its seat. lf the boiler pressure falls substantially below that in the main the valve will close until the pressure reaches the proper point to supply the main, and it will of course suddenly close if the pressure in the boiler falls suddenly as in the case of a broken tube or explosion, and thus waste of steam from the main to the injured boiler is avoided.

Since however the valve normally opens when the pressure in the boiler exceeds that in the main, and since sometimes an unusual situation arises which calls for the reverse of that action, as when the main breaks and there is suddenly no appreciable pressure in it or avery materially lower pressure than normal, the present invention includes the additional valve control elements including the two pistons to bring about a closing of the valvey infsuch emergency. The pistons 45 and 48 are normally balanced by substantially the4 same pressure on opposite sides, and thus under normal conditions do not interfere with the natural operation of the valve above described, but when theV main line breaks and the pressure in cham- Y ber ll suddenly falls to a very material degree7 the pressure of the steam from auf. other boiler or source in the space between t the pistons will so greatly overbalance the upward pressure on the under surface of the lower piston and the. upward pressure on the underv surface of valve 20 as toquickly force that valve to its seat and hold it there, thus lshutting ofi" the boiler from the broken main. In this struc-ture the upper piston and its structural connections and arrangement provideV mechanical means for controlling the valve while permitting the automatic action in one adjustment. To

illustrate: when the valve is open and then parts in the position shown in Figure l, theV sleeve 53 vmay be turned by the' hand wheel 55, and` in its downward travel due tothe threads it will by engaging shoulder 52.

force rod 49 downward, carrying the piston 48 with it, and since thatpiston can not approach the lower piston 45 beyond the.k

shoulder on rod 42 just above the lock nuts 47 that second piston and its rod.Y 42 and the valve 2O will be carried down to closed position.` as shown in Figure 2 and me.

In its downward? movement the piston 48 passes over and closes chanicallyA held closed.

openings 30, thus cutting off'the supply of steam` from a separate source to the space between the pistons. To then set the valve for operation, the sleeve 53? is turned inthe i io ' inserte reverse direction until it is in the position shown in Figure l, but the valve rod 49 in this instance does not move with itv because, of its movement but remains in the position shown in Figure 2, with the valve closed so long `as the pressurein the boiler does not so far overbalance that in' chamber ll as to raise the valve and throughit lmove the two rpistons up to the position shown in Figure 1.'. When piston 48 is thus raised, it moves over and opens the ports 30 for the steam pressure between the pistons and thereafter has substantially equal steam pressure on its lower surface through ports 30 and on its upper'surface through the passageway l5, and is thus in a sense balanced. Even when in lowered position cutting oii lports 30 the pressure on its upper face balances that on the lower face of piston 45, and thus there is no pressure resistance to free move-v ment or pressure tending to move it kfrom adjusted position. i j

ravin thus described my invention, what is claime as new and desiredvto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In Lan automatic stop valve, the combination with a valve body having a chamber therein providedwith an inlet opening Vhaving an inwardly facing valvey seat and an outlet opening and a cylindricaly extensionin line with the inlet opening, oi' a valve in said chamber fitting said valve seatand movable therefrom in the line of said cylinder, a piston in the end portionfof said cylinder facing the valve, a connection be said second piston to such position as ,tol close said valve through the interposed i'st piston and connection or to a positionpsuch as will permit said valve to open, and-a port with which said second piston oooperatesfor supplying fluid independent of but yunder sub-v stantially the same pressure as that in the chamber to the space in said cylinder be-` tween said pistons when the valveis open.

2. An automatic `valve -for connecting boiler to a steam main, comprising in com# bination a valve body or casing having a chamber therein provided with an 'inletopening from the boiler having an inwardly facing valve seat and an outlet connectionto said steam main and a cylindrical extension in line with the inlet opening, of a valve in said chamber iitting said seatand movable therefrom towards said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder exposed on its under surfaceto the steam pressure in saidlchamber, connect" ing means betweensai'd';piston and4 valvewhereby they move together, said cylinder having a port for supplying a fluid from a source separate, :from -the* steam main butunder substantially the same pressure` as the norma-l pressure' ,in ther steam main to' .the upper side of said piston, thus so ybalancing" it normally yas topermit the valve to autosy matically open or close as the relative pressure inthe boiler andsteani'main varies, but

causing the vaive to close through ythe 'ovenv balance of pressure on saidpistonwhen the, V i

pressure in the `main suddenly falls'- much below normal as 'bya break in it, and assecond pistonin `said cylinder above said iirst j A,

piston exposed on its upper or outer `faceto thesteam pressure in tlie main and movable 'Y Within limits'towards and away from 'said first piston adapted initslower position to close the valve and said port, and linits upper position to open said port, and lto per- ,c

mit the valve to open., s 3.` An automatic stop valve including i vcombination, a .valve body formed with a chamber having an inlet passage and an out- ,l

let passage,a valve controlling the inlet pas# sage constructed to close when'the pressure ber, a'cylinder, a stemconnected with the in the inletp'assage is less than in the chamvp valve-.extending intoA said.v cylinder, a pair 'of spaced pistons in said cylinderfthe' one l 7 adjacent the valve being secured to said stem,

a Sldable's'pndlc secured to the yother piston and" projecting Voutside fthe cylinder,- said .stem'and second piston being connected for limited relative longitudinal movement, the

spaces at the vopposite ends ofsaid: pistons loe-p. i

ing in communication with iiuidat the same j pressurey as-in the outletpassage, said ,cylin!` f der having a port for supplying a iuid under substantially the lsaine pressure as the normal p i pressureof the steam in the inlet to said cyl- 'p inder at 4such point above the first mentioned' piston that the port lwill -be closed byy said second mentioned piston when moved to-v wards the first mentioned pistonbut opened when moved in thevopposite direction.

4i. An automatic valve,:tor connecting, a' l 115 boiler to a steam main, comprising incom-l bination a valve body or-casing provided withl ha chamber having an inlet from the boiler" and an outlet to the steam main, an auto- Amatic control .valve vforsaid inlet ,adaptedf v to normallyopen'on an excess of pressurevin the boiler,l and close on an excess of pressure inthe steam main, of'a cylinder containing two spaced pistons having free limited relative movements substantially equal'to the normal movement of the valve, means connecting onepistonito move withthe valve, means for normally balancing the vpressure on said pistons by means of steamconnection Y from the main to their outer surfaces and a port in 'the cylinder wall adapted to be. connested to mother Som/:e of fluid unisi substuntmlly equal prees-ure szu port open'ug no the space necmay between 'the pieons, and means for in@ lg mud secon( *fm close said por when the ae n ffmomaiie mh'e poile? steam mah, 60ml mnaion Take brac-y er chamber opening)- mow piston 12 )Mlm- ULI.

a #fe n hposelv o0. nested f sa" L du l:Same pressme as' "thai *p *he @as and mum te the space 1n the' ejfhnde which i@ beivreen the pl-s-Ons 171 ogennrq' poson,

means "f m e mpyingf to the autel' face 'l p *on Connected to the main,

of sa secon( A lower. enl n. cylndmln L,

mf; veel@ ee meunsor mongsad Sd-2 f m and smd connected plson inlet 'fm1 Said fluid u he Suppjr. tlc stop velve meiudmg m *fakev body 'folmefl Wlth n mlef passage md an .y ,zaf'e emrrollmg the mlet e EL@ @Ose when the presy 1s less than in the in line l a Connecmbe' and Central ndent presre 'm the m51 in Said CyL e. ffenneetzm and s Open 'ze occupy for Huid oper end ffiptefl ns; al nde-T pre e including :L mted ,e Y" ns moiwm 'for moving said rod Smid valve 0 move theremd m Stem VLLLE Ni BOTJJLER STRK. 

